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MP wants ombudsman to rule on disputes between neighbours and landlords
An MP wants new powers to be given to an ombudsman to deal with disputes between neighbours and private landlords whose tenants are causing a nuisance.
Nick de Bois, Conservative MP for Enfield North, tabled a ‘ten minute rule’ bill in the Commons this week.
The Housing Ombudsman (Power to Settle Disputes Between Neighbours and Tenants) Bill specifically wants the Housing Ombudsman – which currently deals with disputes in the social rented sector – to be given powers allowing it to intervene between neighbours and private sector landlords.
Currently, the Housing Ombudsman can only adjudicate on disputes between tenants and landlords.
De Bois wants the new power to help neighbours of Houses in Multiple Occupation where there are anti-social tenants who have been placed there by agents on behalf of absentee landlords.
De Bois said it is a growing problem.
He said: “Last year there were 195,231 HMOs in London alone, which was a growth of over 10,000 on the previous 12 months.
“Return on investment is higher for landlords who let their properties in multiple occupation which is why this is a growing issue for cities in particular.
“Presently it can be very hard to even try to locate and identify landlords when residents are seeking to enlist landlord help in resolving what can be a very disturbing cycle of anti-social behaviour, that all too often take too long for authorities to sort out, if at all.
“I want to put a stop to this, by giving the neighbours who are the victims of anti-social behaviour the right to deal with the landlord of properties – which I believe will help resolve the problem in a more timely fashion.
“Good landlords will want to stop bad behaviour if they are aware of it, and where there are landlords that don’t care, then this Bill will force them to take action.”
The Property Ombudsman Christopher Hamer, who does deal in the private sector, said his own terms of reference already allow him to adjudicate on complaints from neighbours, or individuals who have been “involved by the actions of an agent”.
He said that such a case might be where a neighbour had complained to an agent about a tenant’s behaviour but the agent had done nothing about it.
Hamer said: “If, however, a neighbour simply wanted to complain about tenants and the agent had no involvement, then I could not take a complaint. Such disputes are really for the local authority to resolve.
“The Housing Ombudsman covers local authorities and housing associations.
“I am not clear how jurisdiction could apply to plain neighbour disputes.
“How could the Housing Ombudsman enforce a ruling against private individuals?”
‘Ten minute rule’ bills very rarely succeed but are a way for an MP to float an idea.
